Re: OT: CARP passed- this sucks.

["Luigi Meloni" <Luigimeloni74@libero.it>]

> >I guess my main issue isn't that the RIAA is trying to gather money for
> >it's artists, that's actually a good thing.  It's just that I see the
> >industry, and it looks very very lopsided to me.  It seems like 10% of
the
> >talent is making 99% of the money.  If SOMA FM gets charged .07 cents to
> >play one of my songs, and then Sting ends up with .02 cents of it, 
>that's
> >NOT OK with me.
>
> That shouldn't be ok with you. Does the law say that Sting gets part of
> your money? I haven't read the law myself, but I really doubt it. If 
>money
> is collected for you and owed to you, then go demand it. You wouldn't be
> the first person or the first set of laborers that had to scrap a bit to
> make sure you get paid your fair share. If the RIAA got themselves signed
> up to collect money for you, then it is their problem to see to it that
you
> get paid your share. But if they don't pay you it is your problem to go
> stick up for yourself and protect your own rights to that money. Nobody 
>is
> going to fight that battle for you, but if you ask me it seems like a
> pretty easy battle.
>
> kim

---Just as long as you've got enough money to put up a legal battle against
RIAA.

Same situation here in Italy. The money collected by SIAE from discoteques
are in part paid to the 'emeriti' of the SIAE affiliates (i.e. as a bonus
since they are the most money producing acts). Many lawsuits have been done
(and are still pending) regarding this, but, since SIAE is in a position of
monopoly (it was a government organism  since the beginning and even if it
is not anymore it continues to be the only 'local' organization it can do
whatever it wants to- the last in the timeline... since the beginning of
year 2002 they changed their quote of rights (for the works of collecting
and distributing money in behalf of the artists) from 5% to 40%) none seems
to be able to make it work as it should.
That's the reason why I've become affiliated to IMRO, the Irish rights
organization. I want to use them to protect me against SIAE acts.

The real problem seems to me to be the two-years-back payments.
0.07 cents can seem to be a small amount of money, but multiply this for 
two
years of 'hypotetic' webcasting numbers and you come to some money.

Peace
Luigi